Water fill valve assembly for an iron

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9334604-B1
Application number	US-201514594460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

An iron includes a housing having a sole plate on a base end thereof and a water reservoir therein, for receiving water therein. A water fill valve assembly is in fluid communication with the reservoir. The valve assembly includes a one way check valve having an open first end, an opposing expandable second end proximate the water reservoir, and a valve body extending therebetween. The second end of the check valve is normally in a first constricted configuration, substantially preventing water within the water reservoir from freely exiting therethrough, and is expandable by water poured into the open first end of the valve and flowing to the second end, such that the poured-in water substantially freely flows therethrough and into the water reservoir. The second end of the check valve returns to the first configuration after the poured in water has passed therethrough.

First claim

We claim:

1. An iron comprising:
a housing;
a sole plate on a base end of the housing;
a water reservoir within the housing for receiving water therein; and
a water fill valve assembly in fluid communication with the water reservoir, the valve assembly including a one way check valve having an open first end, an opposing expandable second end proximate the water reservoir, and a valve body extending therebetween, the second end of the check valve normally being in a first constricted configuration, substantially preventing water within the water reservoir from freely exiting therethrough, the second end of the check valve being expandable by water poured into the open first end of the valve and flowing to the second end, such that the poured-in water substantially freely flows therethrough and into the water reservoir, the second end of the check valve returning to the first configuration after the poured in water has passed therethrough.

2. The iron of claim 1 , wherein the check valve is a duckbill valve, a pair of lips defining the second end of the duckbill valve, the lips being biased into sealing engagement in the first constricted configuration, the poured-in water overcoming the bias of the lips and separating the lips from one another to freely flow into the water reservoir.

3. The iron of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the check valve comprises an orifice of a size sufficiently small enough to substantially prevent water within the water reservoir from freely exiting therethrough and being expandable to a larger size by the poured-in water, to, in turn, flow through the expanded size orifice and into the water reservoir.

4. The iron of claim 3 , wherein the orifice comprises a generally semicircular shape.

5. The iron of claim 3 , wherein the orifice defines a diameter less than or equal to about 6 mm.

6. The iron of claim 1 , wherein the check valve is constructed of an elastomeric material.

7. The iron of claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric check valve is constructed of rubber.

8. The iron of claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric check valve is constructed of silicone.

9. The iron of claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly further comprises an upper rim, the open end of the check valve being engaged with the upper rim and the valve body projecting from the upper rim in a direction toward the water reservoir.

10. The iron of claim 9 , wherein the upper rim further includes an aperture adjacent the open end of the check valve, and an exhaust tube extending through the aperture, the exhaust tube fluidly communicating the water reservoir with an exterior of the iron for exhausting air in the water reservoir displaced by water filling the water reservoir to the exterior.

11. The iron of claim 9 , further comprising a funnel projecting outwardly from the housing and in fluid communication with the valve assembly, for guiding water toward the open end of the check valve.

12. An iron comprising:
a housing;
a sole plate on a base end of the housing;
a water reservoir within the housing, for receiving water therein; and
a water fill valve assembly in fluid communication with the water reservoir, the valve assembly including an elastomeric duckbill valve having an open end, a pair of lips defining an opposing end thereof proximate the water reservoir, and a valve body extending therebetween, the lips being normally biased into sealing engagement with one another such that water within the water reservoir cannot freely flow through the valve assembly and wherein water poured into the open end of the valve assembly overcomes the bias of the lips and separates the lips from one another to freely flow into the water reservoir.

13. The iron of claim 12 , wherein the elastomeric duckbill valve is constructed of rubber.

14. The iron of claim 12 , wherein the elastomeric duckbill valve is constructed of silicone.

15. The iron of claim 12 , wherein the valve assembly further comprises an upper rim, the open end of the duckbill valve being engaged with the upper rim and the valve body projecting from the upper rim in a direction toward the water reservoir.

16. The iron of claim 15 , wherein the upper rim further includes an aperture adjacent the open end of the check valve, and an exhaust tube extending through the aperture, the exhaust tube fluidly communicating the water reservoir with an exterior of the iron for exhausting air in the water reservoir displaced by water filling the water reservoir to the exterior.

17. The iron of claim 1 , further comprising a funnel projecting outwardly from the housing and in fluid communication with the valve assembly, for guiding water toward the open end of the check valve.

18. An iron comprising:
a housing;
a sole plate on a base end of the housing;
a water reservoir within the housing, for receiving water therein; and
a water fill valve assembly in fluid communication with the water reservoir, the valve assembly including a check valve having an open end, a generally semicircular orifice defining an opposing end thereof proximate the water reservoir, and a valve body extending therebetween, the generally semicircular orifice having a radius of less than or equal to about 3 mm in an initial configuration to substantially prevent water within the water reservoir from freely exiting through the orifice, the orifice being expandable by water poured into the open first end of the valve and flowing to the orifice, such that the poured-in water substantially freely flows therethrough and into the water reservoir, the orifice of the check valve returning to the initial configuration after the poured in water has passed therethrough.

Assignees

• Hamilton Beach Brands Inc

Inventors

• Li Wenbin

Classifications

• D06F75/18

  the water being fed slowly, e.g. drop by drop, from the reservoir to a steam generator · CPC title

• D06F75/14 Primary

  the steam being produced from water in a reservoir carried by the iron · CPC title

• D06F75/10

  with means for supplying steam to the article being ironed (D06F75/32 takes precedence) · CPC title